Pot-furnace for melting glass.



PATBNTED NOV. 8, 1904.

W'. T. NIOHOLLS. PQT FURNACE FOR MELTING GLASS.

- ssnnms sum 1 II I E I j a 1 il ll No. 774,600. 7 PATENTED NOV. 8.1904.

I W. T. N IUHOLLS.

POT FURNACE FOR MELTING GLASS.

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N0 MODEL.

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iaw kf/ NH H A No. 774,600. PATENTED NOV. {3, 1904.

W. T. NIGHOLLS.

POT FURNACE FOR MELTING GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1903.

9 MODEL 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR UNITED STATES Patented November 8, 1904. A

PATENT Germs.

POT-FURNACE FOR IVIELTING GLASS- SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No.. 774,600, dated November 8, 1904. Application filed April 2,1903. Serial No. 150,779. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. NIcHoLLs, of Wellsburg, in the county ofBrooke and State of WVest Virginia, have invented a new. and usefulPot-Furnace for Melting Glass, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a sectionalside elevation showing a pot-furnace constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the same, partof the pots being shown in top plan view; and Fig. 3 is a verticalcross-section through the furnace and one of the pots.

My invention relates to the-melting of glass in pots wherein the batchis out ofcontact with the heating-flame and gases and is designed toprovide an improved pot and furnace by which glass may be 'meltedcontinuously and taken as desired from one end of the pot. V

In the drawings I show the pot as having a flat bottom 2, which rests onthe bench or floor of the heating-furnace 8, which is of theregenerative type, with the regenerative flues L 4 leading upwardly intothe furnace at opposite ends. The pot is provided with a verticaltransverse partition 6, having slots or holes 7 in its lower portion andwhich connect the melting-compartment 8 with the work-out compartment 9.The pot is provided with a feed-opening 10 at one end, formed in thenose portion 11, which projects through the builtup Wall 12 between thesupporting-piers 13 of the side walls. The work-out chamber 9 isprovided with a similar nose portion 14, having a mouth or outlet 15,through which the glass may be taken out by gathering or in any otherdesirable manner. This nose projects through the opposite side wall ofthe furnace-chamber. The melting-chamber is preferably larger than theworking-out chamber, the partition being placed at one side of thecenter, and the glass is preferably kept at about the level indicated bythe dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3. I have shown three of these pots setparallel with each other and extending transversely of thefurnace-chamber, the

I heating-flame and gases passing in opposite directions over and aroundthe pots as the regenerators are reversed.

In order to cool down the glass in the Working-out chambers to theproper temperature,

Ipreferably employ cold-air pipes 16, having jet branches 17, which leadin through the feed-out openings and by which a controllable jet of airmay be directed upon the surface of the glass in the working-outchamber.

In using the furnace the batch is fed to the melting-chambers throughthe openings at the ends of the pots on one side, and as the glass meltsit flows through the lower openings into the Work-out chambers, Whereduring normal working the batch will rest at substantially the samelevel as in the melting-chamber. As the glass is taken out from thechambers 9 on the other side of the furnace portions of the batch to bemelted are fed into the melting-chambers at any desirable intervals,thus giving a continous operation in melting and removing. Theregenerators are reversed in the usual manner, and the glass in theWork-out chambers is controlledin temperature by the coldair jets orother desirable cool-ing means.

The advantages of my invention result from the continuous operation. Thepots are not filled up and the batch melted and then worked out, afterwhich an entire new and cold batch is filled into the hot empty pot, andhence the pots Will be long-lived, as their temperature is keptsubstantially the same. The delay incident'to melting the batch isavoided after the pots are once started. As the glass enters the Workingchamber through a hole or holes near the bottom of the partition, theimpurities will not enter the work-out chamber and a good grade of glassis obtained. As the glass may be kept at the same or any convenientlevel in the work-out chamber, the difliculty in gathering, as inordinary pots, when the glass gets low in the pots, is avoided.

Many variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the pots, thefurnace, &c. without departing from my invention.

I claim 1. A pot-furnace comprising a long narrow combustion-chamber oftunnel form, reversing regenerators connected to opposite ends of thesaid tunnel, and a series of similar transverse pots with closed topsset in the furnacechamber with their ends opening through the side wallsof the tunnel, each pot having a feed-in opening at one side of thechamber and a work-out opening at the opposite side, said chamber beingarranged to allow the gases to sweep from one end over the series ofpots to the other end; substantially as described.

2. A pot-furnace comprising a long narrow combustion-chamber of tunnelform, reversing regenerators connected to opposite ends of the saidtunnel, and a series of similar transverse pots with closed tops set inthe furnacechamber with their ends opening through the side Walls of thetunnel, each pot having a feed-in opening at one side of the chamber anda work-out opening at the opposite side and provided with aseparating-partition with an opening in its lower portion, said chamberbeing arranged to allow the gases to sweep from one end over the seriesof pots to the other end; substantially as described.

3. A pot-furnace having a series of pots therein with closed tops andopenings at opposite sides of the furnace, each pot having a transversepartition with a hole in its lower part to allow glass to flow from themeltingchamber to the Work-out chamber, and means for cooling the glassin the work-out chamber; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM T. NIOHOLLS.

Witnesses:

Geo. W. MCGLEARY, T. W. CARMIGHAEL.

